Partner

What's the best way to translate the word "partner" (in the sense of a person with whom one is living as if married, but not actually legally married)?
I have a feeling that words like
حبيب
محب
عشيق
while certainly descriptive, do not exactly convey respect.
Would رفيق be a good choice?

Thank you. That's a good one to consider as well. I think both صاحب and شريك need contexts to make it clear, just as context is necessary for the English word. In any case, the context I have in mind will make it clear. Thank you.

What's the best way to translate the word "partner" (in the sense of a person with whom one is living as if married, but not actually legally married)?

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1. In my variety of (USA) English, a "partner" is not someone I'm simply sharing living quarters with, whether m. or f. I would call such a person a "roommate". At a social function, I would not introduce this person to someone else as my "partner". To do so implies a much more involved relationship than a mere "roommate". (There's also the peculiar usage of "mate" in Australian. When someone calls me that, I feel I'm in the navy or something).

3. During the classical period in Arabic belles lettres, of course, we have the so-called "boon companion", the "drinking buddy" of the Caliphs called in Arabicنديم How "nadeem" is used in modern Arabic I don't know, but it might be the word you're looking for.

Thank you, Goldbug, but I think you've misunderstood my query. As a native speaker of English, I'm well aware of the distinction between "partner" and "roommate". That's why I'd specified living together "as if married" . . .

Yes, and calling someone يا صاحبي doesn't mean they sleep together or live together. But among young generation, you can hear a person talk about his girlfriend as صاحبتي instead of the once-used English term, and a girl uses صاحبي instead of boyfriend.
Living together is not implied in this word though, this is why context and/or further "explanation" would be required if you need to give that meaning.

Also, nadiim is someone you drink with (not necessarily among governors), so it's a different word.

Yes, and calling someone يا صاحبي doesn't mean they sleep together or live together. But among young generation, you can hear a person talk about his girlfriend as صاحبتي instead of the once-used English term, and a girl uses صاحبي instead of boyfriend.
Living together is not implied in this word though, this is why context and/or further "explanation" would be required if you need to give that meaning.
Also, nadiim is someone you drink with (not necessarily among governors), so it's a different word.

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Thank you. Yes, that makes perfect sense. Further context is also needed in English to imply living together. Just as Arabic has no single word to describe that relationship, neither does English. The only way to describe it in English without a context is to use the phrase "common-law wife" or "common-law husband".
In any case, صاحبي with a context sounds like just what I need. Thank you.

It does depend to a large extent quite how accurately you need the translation; if you're translating in the context of an application form asking 'partner/spouse' I would hesitate to use صاحب - but I think you get the idea anyway.